Did I read that right? Did our Cook County commissioners just give the EDA a bailout?
Sounds like the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) has a lot of excuses for bad decisions it has made. Are we as a country getting too used to asking for money if we make poor decisions? General Motors got one, so why not the EDA?
The article also stated that even if all 37 lots of the business park sold, the EDA would still owe $200,000.00 to the City of Grand Marais. So now the EDA is in debt a total of 1.6 million to the city plus another $31,000.00 to the county? Was that part of the plan for this development? No money was allotted in the plan for any problems, unknowns, attorney fees? I have never heard of any construction project without at least a few unknowns to plan for. Is there a plan for this debt if the other 34 lots don’t start selling like crazy?
To me, this doesn’t really sound like “Economic Development.” When the hearings took place for the EDA’s lowincome housing program, I stood up with many other members of this county to say that the EDA’s choices were not good ones. They went ahead anyway, and we see how that has turned out.
In last week’s paper I read that a new business is trying to start up in Cook County. Sure, a sled dog tour business may not generate a lot of income for the county, but if it doesn’t operate in a deficit, it will be doing more than what it sounds like the EDA is doing for Cook County.
Thank you county commissioners for giving the conditional use permit to this new business. I was amazed that in the current economic condition of our country, this new business is trying to start up, and the county commissioner “representing” myself and the Gunflint Trail voted against it?
I think I should err on the side of caution myself, and start my campaign early for the Cook County commissioner’s seat on the Gunflint Trail at the next election.
Nace Hagemann
Gunflint Trail
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